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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24324583">Lotus of the Charlatan Saint (A Haikyuu!! Fanfic)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Famejecks/pseuds/Famejecks'>Famejecks</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU?, Aobajohsai Volleyball Club - Freeform, BAMF Original Female Character, Bonding, F/M, Fukurodani Volleyball Club - Freeform, Gender or Sex Swap, Holding Hands, In Character, Karasuno Volleyball Club - Freeform, Kissing, Lemon, Light BDSM, Lime, Masturbation, Molestation, Multi, Naughty Thoughts, Nekoma Volleyball Club - Freeform, Powerful Black Women, Sexual Frustration, Shiratorizawa Volleyball Club - Freeform, Sprite, Strong Female Characters, Summer Training Camp, Super Volleyball Idiots, Truth or Dare, Twins, Volleyball, Volleyball Prodigies, Wet Dream, soul swap, vulnerable boys</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:21:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,254</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24324583</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Famejecks/pseuds/Famejecks</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Karasuno has just won Nationals and decides to celebrate their win (and new accumulation of sponsors) with a summer training camp. Four strong schools — Nekoma, Fukurodani, Aobajohsai, and Shiratorizawa — as well as five volleyball prodigies from around the world are invited to join the camp for 10 weeks of games, challenges, training, and fun in Karuizawa, Nagano.  </p><p>Ren Arrowood, a so-called volleyball prodigy from New York City, is invited to train with these five powerhouse schools in the 2020 Miyagi-Kanto Men’s Volleyball Summer Training Camp. However, his identical, equally prodigious twin sister, Eren Arrowood, ends up going in his place to live for two-and-a-half months with five all-male teams of “super volleyball idiots”. </p><p>If you want to see a single, 5’4 girl crush a bunch of testosterone-overloaded guys at a sport without them even knowing she’s a girl, this is the story for you. </p><p>And just to give you a taste:</p><p> </p><p>  <em>BAM!</em></p><p> </p><p>I land from my jump, a satisfied grin stretching across my face as the ball lands in the far corner of the opposite side of the court, knocking over an empty, plastic bottle. </p><p> </p><p>  <em>Just where I wanted it.</em></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akaashi Keiji/Original Female Character(s), Everyone/Original Female Character(s), Sawamura Daichi/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I’m sure that since you’re here and have decided to read this fanfiction, you’re eager to get to the juicy stuff. But please, I beg of you:</p><p>STOP.</p><p>Read this Author’s Note, however tedious that task may be, so you can go into the story without needing a bunch of explanations later. </p><p>Number One. To make the timing of the plot more convenient, I’ve decided to set the fanfiction in an American education timeline. In other words, around three months are dedicated to summer vacation. The training camp itself is two-and-a-half months long, so this provides a better fit for the plot, as well as a more fluid transition into the following school year <em>if</em> I decide to continue the story. You could consider this an AU, but pretty much everything else is the same, so that’s up to you. </p><p>Number Two. I do not know if this story will extend beyond the summer. I just don’t. Definitely let me know if you would be interested in that as the training camp draws to a close, but there are no guarantees. </p><p>Number Three. Remember that while this story is set in the timeline of a typical American education, they are in Japan and <em>are</em> speaking Japanese. If I ever point out that one of the American characters is speaking in English, it’s either an involuntary reflex, an attempt to say something others won’t understand (i.e. insulting a Japanese character in English) or because they are speaking to another American or English-speaking Japanese character. Any reasons beyond that are few and far between. However, with certain phrases like Bokuto’s “Hey, hey, hey!” or the more general “Nice serve!”, I will not clarify that they are in English, because these are known facts. </p><p>Number Four. Any sexual relationships or encounters between characters are based on how <em>I</em> view the sexual identities of the <em>Haikyuu!!</em> characters and how that would mesh with the sexuality of my main character. Feel free to offer your own opinions and advice, but know that what all of us take from the series is going to be different, and that’s alright. Please try to understand where I’m coming from and also consider that what people enjoy when having sex/sexual encounters can vary from partner to partner. </p><p>Number Five. Please enjoy this fanfiction for what it is. Or don’t. Either way, do leave comments. It’s more helpful to hear feedback than you think. </p><p>Finally, I don’t want you going in blind regarding my main character’s backstory or the summer training camp, so I’ll take the rest of this chapter to fill you in. </p><p>Eren Arrowood, the (pretty much identical) twin sister of Ren Arrowood, is an African-American volleyball star at her school in New York City, much like her brother. Known worldwide in volleyball circles for being volleyball prodigies, they are notorious for playing pranks by switching places, even during national championships, which pisses their teammates off to no end (this is not well-known outside of their teams for the sake of their reputations). However, being equally fantastic at the game and identical (if you don’t count genitals), they now pull off their tricks perfectly almost every time and have become quite adept at adopting each other’s identities. </p><p>Ren is invited to the 2020 Miyagi-Kanto Men’s Volleyball Summer Training Camp, an opportunity that might lead to him spending his last year of high school leading a Japanese volleyball team to nationals. However, being mischievous as he is, he convinces his sister to go in his place. This leads to Eren disguising herself as Ren and taking her less-than-rightful place at the camp (though this doesn’t take much: they have the same hairstyle — fade with a curly-kinky quiff on top — and everything). They <em>did</em> have to trade piercings, though. Eren now has snakebites and two, small, spiked, silver hoops on her upper, left ear. </p><p>Also, here’s a quick explanation of the title: The name Ren is of Japanese origin and means lotus. The name Eren is of Turkish origin and means saint or holy man. Since the story is about Eren’s impersonation of Ren, Lotus of the Charlatan Saint is an appropriate title. Also, it sounds cool. Convince me otherwise. </p><p>The 2020 Miyagi-Kanto Men’s Volleyball Summer Training Camp is a two-and-a-half-month camp taking place in Karuizawa, Nagano, that brings together the teams of Nationals-winning Karasuno and sore losers Nekoma, Fukurodani, Aobajohsai, and Shiratorizawa to compete, bond, and finally, say goodbye to the third years as they make their way to university or otherwise. It also invites five promising volleyball players from all over the world to join simply for practice or for the chance of being recruited. These players spend two weeks with each team in five-week rotations, playing volleyball, participating in challenges, and rooming with their current teammates. </p><p>Monday mornings are spent doing group practices of the basics, as well as lengthy, soul-sucking drills. After lunch, the players break up into smaller groups for practice until 3:30, after which they are free to explore Karuizawa and enjoy their summer vacation. Free trips to various destinations are organized to take place on some Mondays. Tuesdays through Sundays are spent playing volleyball games. Every team will go up against each of the other four teams three times. Two games are played every day, one before lunch, and one after. Any other time is spent on team practices, small group games, and workouts. </p><p>Sunday afternoons or evenings are spent on team challenges. Whoever wins the most challenges by the end of the camp gets bragging rights. In the event of a tie, a final challenge will be held between the tied teams on the last day, Monday, before the barbecue that will double as a final goodbye to the third years. The recruits (whoever gets successfully recruited by one of the five teams) will be revealed on that Monday morning and may be used in the tie-breaker. </p><p>Let me know in the comments if there’s anything else you want to know regarding Eren, Ren, the training camp, or otherwise. Now, onto the story. </p><p>Final note (I know you’re tired of reading through this, but bear with me): This work was not created to reinforce stereotypes that Americans or people of African descent are better at sports. As a black American with little to no athletic ability, I do not believe this. However, this story was created to break stereotypes that women are worse than men at athletic activities. Note that we will be dealing with a very “overpowered” character. She exists to hone each of the other characters’ natural abilities and help them fulfill and expand their potential. Thank you for understanding. </p><p>Now — for real this time — onto the story.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter One: Week One, Day One, Part One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>BAM!</em>
</p>
<p>I land from my jump, a satisfied grin stretching across my face as the ball lands in the far corner of the opposite side of the court, knocking over an empty, plastic bottle. </p>
<p>
  <em>Just where I wanted it.</em>
</p>
<p>A great serve can be just as satisfying as an amazing spike, especially when all of your opponents freeze in place, unable to react before the ball hits the court. I take pleasure in the reverberation of the killer impact. Bet Ren couldn’t serve like that. </p>
<p>“Ah, Arrowood Ren-kun. You’re here already.”</p>
<p>I turn at the sound of Coach Hisakawa’s voice. </p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p>“They’re going to be here soon. I don’t mind if you keep practicing, but make sure you clean up a little.” He motions at the other side of the court. It’s littered with balls and crushed, empty, plastic bottles.</p>
<p>“Yes, sir.”</p>
<p>“Also, try to make friends with the other recruits. You’ll only get to meet them from the other side of the net from tomorrow on, but they’re truly some fantastic players.”</p>
<p>“Yes, sir.”</p>
<p>He doesn’t have to tell me. I recognize three of them from TV alone, and if that wasn’t enough, all of them are on Mom and Dad’s radar. I eye them as they jog into the gym. Hisakawa must have woken them up. Hard to believe that they’re rumored to be so good, yet don’t wake up before 10. Ren and I’s rigorous training requires us to always be up before the sun.</p>
<p>Coach Hisakawa nods, his blue-black curls briefly falling into his eyes. He seems satisfied with himself as he turns and walks away. </p>
<p>I cross under the net and pick up the nearest ball, feeling its heft in my hand before tossing it into the waiting ball cart. </p>
<p>
  <em>What am I doing here?</em>
</p>
<p>Perhaps I should explain myself.</p>
<p>My name is <em>not</em> Ren Arrowood. Surprising, I know. I <em>am</em> an Arrowood, but I also happen to be a girl. Plus, I’m older by 9 minutes. </p>
<p>Okay, this is not working. The easiest way to explain this is from the beginning.</p>
<p>My parents -- our parents -- met at a public middle school in Queens. They met again at a bigger high school in Manhattan. They found each other once more at a little college known as New York University. They did not love each other from the start. Long before they were partners, they were rivals. </p>
<p>Mom likes to say that there was something about Dad that pushed her buttons. Maybe it was that she just couldn’t seem to get rid of him. Maybe it was that she was evenly matched with him in volleyball and could never seem to pull ahead. Maybe it was that she caught him agreeing that girls could never beat boys at a sport. Either way, she wanted to beat him. And she did.</p>
<p>Through middle school, high school, and college, Mom beat Dad as many times as she lost. When he was young, Dad never believed a girl could beat a guy at volleyball. Mom changed him through blood, sweat, tears, and sheer force of will. </p>
<p>I love that story. </p>
<p>Fast forward through graduation, marriage, and pregnancy, and Ren and I were born. Mom and Dad retired from their respective national teams to coach and advise other teams and to raise us. From the very beginning, we were taught at the same net by the same people and flown around the world to see strong teams play other strong teams. Our potential, given to us by our parents, was honed into talent.</p>
<p>Ren and I played together and fought together. We were partners and rivals. We were a set, and we were individuals. By the time we reached middle school, people started calling us prodigies. We didn’t care. We just wanted to play volleyball.</p>
<p>After our mixed-sex volleyball team in elementary school, middle school was a rare chance to be apart. We were not a set. We were not rivals. Just a boy and a girl on our respective teams. That all changed in seventh grade. </p>
<p>I’d overheard a boy at school saying the same thing Mom had caught Dad saying over three decades ago. Being raised in a house of gender equality around people who never doubted that I was evenly matched with my brother, this offhand comment bothered me more than it should’ve. It was made even more offensive by the fact that this boy was on Ren’s team.</p>
<p>“Oh, please,” Dad had said. “If you took your brother’s place, they wouldn’t know the difference.”</p>
<p>“Both you and Ren are equally amazing. Sometimes you just have to let ignorant statements be,” Mom added.</p>
<p>I should’ve known something was up by the way Ren quietly nibbled at the pointy end of his slice of pepperoni pizza. He was never quiet at dinner.</p>
<p>“Let’s do it,” he whispered after all but dragging me into his room.</p>
<p>“Do what?” I questioned.</p>
<p>“Shh!”</p>
<p>“Dude, the door’s closed. Just talk normally.”</p>
<p>“Fine,” he said at a normal volume. “Let’s switch places.”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>“Like Dad said. They’ll never notice. Don’t you want to show everyone that you’re just as good as me?”</p>
<p>“I don’t need to show anybody <em>anything</em>,” I retort. “I know it. You know it. Mom and Dad know it. That’s enough.”</p>
<p>Still, I couldn’t hide how much that kid’s comment irked me. Not from my parents, and certainly not from my twin.</p>
<p>The first time I switched places with my brother, it was during a practice match with another school. Nobody noticed a thing. </p>
<p>The second time, it was during a local competition. Mom and Dad came to congratulate us both at the end (both the girls’ and boys’ competitions were held at the same time) and as soon as they saw us together, they knew. It was from then on that we vowed never to be together while switched in the view of our parents. </p>
<p>The third time, Ren had forgotten to fill me in on a new play. That was the only time our teammates ever found out themselves. That’s when we adopted the tradition of walking home with each other after practice to talk about <em>everything</em> that had happened, no matter how seemingly small or insignificant.</p>
<p>In total, Ren and I switched places in middle school seven times. We got caught three of those times.</p>
<p>High school meant more practice matches and more competitions. Our success rate only rose. We mastered the ability to impersonate each other, and the range of our volleyball talent grew even more. Learning from our own teams, each other’s teams, our opponents, each other’s opponents… we became a set of individuals. A partnership of rivals. The line between us blurred, and it solidified.</p>
<p>I am Eren. He is Ren. He is Eren. I am Ren.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you so much for reading this chapter. I’m trying to make this into a regularly-updating series, so look for more chapters on Mondays. It will be hard to do this at first, so bear with me. <br/>I’d love to hear what you think so far, so please leave feedback.<br/>Famejecks</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>There are instances of sexual harassment and assault in certain chapters that may be found triggering. There will be warnings on those particular chapters. This work was not created to glorify molestation or any other form of harassment or assault. Thank you for understanding.<br/>Also, the preview I offered in the summary was created to fit the space I was given. You may see something similar at the beginning of Chapter One, but don’t try to skip ahead. Please take your time and read it through.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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